Congratulations to the Anna Freud Centre!

Today, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the Anna Freud Centre is opening the Anna Freud Centre of Excellence to drive change in children and young people’s mental health.

The new building, the Kantor Centre of Excellence is a purpose-built space where leading neuroscientists and practitioners in mental health, social care and education will work together with children and young people to transform mental health for them and their families. At the heart of the new centre is the ground-breaking Pears Family School, a school for children who have been excluded from mainstream education.

Professor Peter Fonagy, Chief Executive of the Anna Freud Centre, says: “Childhood mental health disorders have reached unacceptably high levels. We are particularly worried about the alarming rates of mental health problems for young women and young LGBT people. As a society, we have a moral imperative to drive change on children’s mental health. Opening our new building is our contribution to this – giving parents, communities and practitioners the skills, knowledge and support to help children build their health and wellbeing, and the confidence to seek professional help when needed.

The Anna Freud Centre is responding to the challenge of child mental health by bringing together the best in research, clinical expertise and training under one roof. Building on 60 years’ experience, the organisation’s new Centre of Excellence will help turn cutting edge research into policy and practice that can give more children and young people the help they need, when they need it.”

Further information regarding the Centre and their work can be found on their website here.